Wheel cover



E P 5 1e Feb. 23, 1954 G. A. LYON 2,670,244

WHEEL COVER Original Filed Nov. 24, 1944 HQ. Z

- Inf/E 77/0? Geor e A/berx Lyon Patented Feb. 23, 1954 so FATE oFFrce; Y

2,670,241 WHEEL COVE! George Albert Lyon, Detroit", Mich. inal application November- 24, v19. 14, sag in 56 1;971, now Patent No.

1. ,"195 Divided 14, 1950,. Serial No;

7 Glhiihst C1,. 301*371) March This invention relates to" wheel structures and more particularly to the ornamental covering of the outer sides of vehicle wheels.

An important object of the present'invention is to provide an improved wheel structure having a'cover which is not subject to rattling; squeaks or other undesirable noises, and in which substantial manufacturing tolerances are permitted while yet aiiording a close fit between the cover and the wheel Another object. of the invention is to provide an improved wheel cover that is adapted to be secured to the central or nave part of a wheel and to be held thereon by the usual bolts by which the wheel is secured to an axle part of the vehicle with which the wheel is used.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide an improved and simplified. structure includin a multipart arrangement and which is rugged, economicalto manufactur and reliable in use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cover structure for a vehicle wheel that isadapted to form a tight fitwith a rim portion of the wheel despite manufacturing. tolerances allowed in mass production of wheel. parts Yet another object of the invention isto provide an improved composite wheel cover structure having improved relationship of the component parts of the wheel to-maintain the same accurately centered relation in service.

It is also an object of the present invention toprovide a novel cooperative relationship be tween a vehicle wheel and a cover for maintaining thecover inproperly centered relation on-the wheel.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following; detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanyin'g drawingsinwhich,

Figure-l is a side elevational view of a vehicle wheel and cover embodying: the features. of the present invention" with a portion of the cover broken away to reveal details therebehin'd;

Figure 2 is an enlarged radial sectional detail view taken substantial-1y on the line' II I-I of Figure'l and Figure 3 is an enlarged radial; sectional view taken: substantially on the line III-III of Figurel.

vehiclewheel with which the present invention is concerned comprises a wheel b'ody'5 and a tire rim 6 both of which may be made: "from appropriate gauge sheet metal, the body being formed: as'a stamping" and the tire asa rolled sections, a

- the body portion 5 and 2 ,541,079, datedFeband this application lirakfedrum I I. intermediate-the portions 1- and 8 of the wheel body" is provideda stepped for mationiz defining a generally axially outwarch 1y opening annular groove i3:

At its outer peri hery, the wheel body '5" is formed with a generally axially inwardly ex I The wheeicoverassembly z't 'comprises-an arrnular cover member 21 having an annular beadlike trim rin member 28' attachedtoits radially main body of a" size to member 27- is formed withan inset bolton flange" 30 which is formed substantially complementary to the bolt-on flange 8 of the wheel body so as to engage the wheel body bolt-on flange in fairly snug relation, being apertured and flanged in such manner that the attachment bolts 9 will engage and clamp the cover bolt-on flange 30 to the wheel body bolt-on flange 8 as best seen in Fig. 3. Immediately radially outwardly adjacent the bolt-on flange 30 a stepped formation 31 of the cover member 21 is complementary to the stepped formation l2 of the wheel body and includes a generally axially inwardly projecting annular rib 32 which fits in the groove l3 and provides an axially outwardly opening groove receptive of the edge of the hub cap 29 in assembly.

For retaining the hub cap 29 in the assembly, a series of retaining springs 33 are mounted on the bolt-on flange 30 of the cover. purpose, the bolt-on flange 30 is formed with a radially extending, axially outwardly projecting rib 34 for supporting each of the clips 33. The clip-supporting ribs 34 extend radially inwardly from the stepped formation 3! of the cover member 21. Each of the clips 33 has a base flange 35 secured as by means of a rivet 31 to the associated supporting rib 34. From the radially outer end of the base 35 extends generally axially outwardly a gooseneck cover-retaining head including an intermediate flange 38, a generally radially outwardly and axially inwardly extending inwardly bowed cam flange 39 and an axially inwardly and radially inwardly directed retaining terminal or shoulder flange 4t. lhe shoulder flange 40 is disposed opposite the grooved rib 32.

In applying the hub cap 29, an underturned curled edge bead 4| of the hub cap is applied against the cam flange 39 of the clips and the hub cap 29 is pressed axially inwardly to cause the heads of the clips to flex and permit the bead 4! to snap behind the retaining terminal shoulder flanges 48 of the clips into the rib groove 32. The arrangement of the clips is such that while the hub cap can be applied easily, it is For this stantial tension by drawing the bolt-on flange portion against the bolt-on flange 8 of the wheel body and thereby driving the outer margin of the cover member 21 against the tire rim shoulder 23. This is quite advantageous since it prevents rattling of the cover member 21 against the tire rim and furthermore because it excludes dirt and foreign matter from entering behind the cover from the outside of the cover.

By having the outer margin of the cover member 21 engage against the shoulder 23, the advantage is gained that the shoulder 23 is in large scale manufacture made with closer tolerance than the extremity or edge of the tire rim terminal flange 22 and therefore a better and closer flt about the entire continuous circle of contact is attained between the periphery of the cOVer part 21 and the tire rim shoulder 23. In addition, the periphery of the cover part 21 is thus protected by th axially outwardly projecting terminal flange portion of the tire rim 22 against curbing or like damage. The tensioned engagement of the cover member 21 with the tire rim automatically compensates for slight manufac turing variations in the axial assembly of the wheel body and tire rim parts. The tension of the cover member 21 also has a beneficial effect upon the attachment bolts 9 since the pressure thus generated on the bolts prevents the bolts from becoming loose during service of the vehicle. Also, by having the outer periphery of the cover part 21 nesting against the shoulder 23 of the tire rim, the cover member 21 is brought 7 in close-r to the side flange 20 of the tire rim substantially more difficult to remove the same,

namely the clips permit an easy-on, hard-off hub cap retaining operation.

By virtue of engagement of the hub cap bead 4| in the groove 32 and the strong resilient lock ing of the bead in such groove by the clips 33 the hub cap 29 is held firmly centered with respect to the cover member 21. Furthermore, it will be observed that since the cover member 21 radially outwardly from the rib groove 32 rests against the wheel body portion 1 a solid backing is afforded for a pry-ofi tool applied under the bead M of the hub cap to pry the same free from the clips, such backing assuring that the cover member 21 will not be dented in the application of pry-oh? force in dislodging the hub cap.

From the rib-groove 32, the annular cover member 21 extends generally radially outwardly to the outer marginal engagement with the tire rim shoulder 23. By preference the portion of the cover 21 which extends between the wheel body portion 1 and the shoulder 23 is of large radius convex formation so as to afford a substantial degree of resilience thereto. Initially the outer margin of the cover member 21 preferably extends axially inwardly beyond the plane occupied by the margin in the assembled condition with the wheel. That is, the radially outer margin of the cover member 21 is in assembly with the wheel deflected axially outwardly relative to the bolt-on flange portion 36 of the cover memher. by placing the cover member 21 under suband thus permits the valve stem 18 to project through a valve stem aperture 42 in the cover member 21 and enables ample access to the valve stem without requiring any disturbance of the cover.

The mounting and disposition of the annular trim member 23 is such that in service it is capable of withstanding curbing pressure, deflated tire side wall thrust, or the like resiliently and with minimum liability of damage. To this end the member 28 is preferably of convex cross section with its inner margin turned under and generally radially outwardly therebehind to provide a reinforcing flange 43 which is in lock seamed engagement with a marginal outturned and generally radially inwardly extending flange M on the outer margin of the cover member 21. From the lock seamed joint 43-44, the cover member 23 curves generally axially outwardly and radially outwardly in spaced relation to the I edge of the terminal flange 22 and projects somewhat radially outwardly therebeyond and has a zrned under reinforcing outer marginal flange 45. Through this arrangement it will be apparent that on receiving a radially inward thrust, the cover member 28 may yield due to its inherent resiliency and by virtue of its flanged interconnection with the cover member 21 and the cover annulus 28 can also yield axially inwardly to a substantial extent by reason of its spaced relation to the tire rim terminal flange.

The present application is a division of my application Serial No. 564,911, flied November 24, 1944, now Patent No. 2,541,0'1 9.

a It will be understood that modifications an I variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wheel cover structure, a cover to be se-" cured to a wheel body part, the center of said cover having a plurality of radially extending ribs disposed circularly about the cover axis, and respective hub cap retaining spring elements secured to said ribs.

2. In a cover structure for a vehicle wheel including flanged body and rim parts supporting a tire, a cover having a radially outwardly stepped center portion to be clamped in nested relationship to a correspondingly stepped central portion of a wheel body part, a plurality of radially outwardly from one of the steps of said cover and having attached thereto respective hub cap retaining elements.

3. In a cover structure for a vehicle wheel including flanged body and rim parts supporting a tire, a cover having a radially outwardly stepped center portion to be clamped in nested relationship to a correspondingly stepped central portion of a wheel body part, a plurality of radially extending, spaced ribs projecting axially outwardly from one of the steps of said cover and having attached thereto respective hub cap retaining elements, the cover member having an annular groove therein radially outwardly of said ribs, and a hub cap having its edge seated in said groove and retained therein by said clips.

4. In a cover structure for disposition at the outer side of a vehicle wheel, a cover member having a central bolt-on flange, a stepped forma tion radially outwardly from said bolt-on flange and defining a generally axially outwardly opening groove, and a hub cap member having a turned margin assembled with said cover member in said groove, said bolt-on flange having a plurality of gooseneck retaining clips disposed to engage and retain said hub cap turned edge in said groove.

5. In a wheel structure including a wheel body and a tire rim, the wheel body having a central bolt-on flange and a step formation radially out- :r

wardlyof said bolt-on flange, a cover including a member having a bolt-on flange nested with the bolt-on flange of the wheel body and secured thereto and having a step formation complementary to and nested with the step formation of the wheel body, the outer margin of said cover member bearing against the tire rim spaced from the tip of the tire rim, an annular ornamental bead of curved cross section secured to the outer margin of the cover member and extending radially and axially outwardly into spaced overlying relation to the tire rim tip, and a hub cap overlying the center of the cover member and having extending, spaced ribs projecting axially its edge seated in the step formation of the cover member.

6. In a wheel structure including a wheel body and a tire rim, the wheel body having an annular bulged body portion and a central bolt-on flange, with a step formation between the bolt-on flange and said bulged portion, a cover assembly formation complementary to and nested with the step formation of the wheel body and with the portion of the cover member radially outwardly of said respective stepped formations lying against said bulged portion of the wheel body, and a hub cap having its margin seated on said step formation of the cover member in such relation that a pry-off tool can be inserted under the margin of the hub cap and leverage applied to the cover member where it is backed by hearing against said bulged portion of the wheel body.

'7. In a wheel structure including a the rim and a wheel body, said wheel body having a central bolt-on flange and a body portion disposed radially outwardly from said bolt-on flange and having an annular generally axially outwardly opening groove therein, a cover for disposition at the outer side of the Wheel having a portion to lie opposite the tire rim and a portion engaging the wheel body, said wheel body engaging portion having a groove formation complementary to the groove in the wheel body and nesting therein and a part lying opposite the bolt-on flange for attachment to the wheel, retaining clips mounted radially inwardly from the groove formation in the cover and having resilient cover retaining heads located adjacent to said groove formation, and a hub cap having a beaded edge nested in said groove formation of the cover and retained therein by engagement thereof by the resilient heads of said clips.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,136,137 Kellogg Nov. 18, 1938 2,183,220 Horn Dec. 12, 1939 2,190,669 Lyon Feb. 20, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 254,946 Italy Sept. 29, 1927 

